Life's Odyssey
by midnightwilight
Summary: A story about one ordinary girl, one friendship, one fate, and one life. Watch children grow from tomboy, book worm, to a beautiful woman or good boy, skater-boy, to player. See how they grow and mature. All Human, OOC.
1. Prologue

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•.¸¸.¤-'~**_Prologue_**~o.¸¸.•  
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How long was a day? 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds, 3 meals?

As humans, we are acquainted with this, I know for a fact we take advantage of what we have, like the example given above, a _day_. Such a simple word, 'day', how many times do we even say that word a _day_?

Someone once said, "Treat each day like it is your last one". And how ever much you think that is inspirational, you don't actually _do_ it. People can have big dreams, but to make those dreams into reality, we must strive to our greatest.

I've learned throughout my life, to cherish what you have and not what you want. It seemed not so long ago when my life's journey started, my childhood was full of adventures and resonance. It was filled with memories and new knowledge that would grasp my attention.

But here I am, by this coffin, in which the person I loved most was placed plausibly inside. Where did our time end? When did it start? I had always thought it started from the summer we tried to get Casper Whitlock to come out. Edward always disagreed, and said it was when him, Emmett, and I had gotten into the 'prank war'.

Well, no matter what, it started sometime. Maybe I'm just too old to remember...


	2. Chapter 1

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I didn't know when it started...

Maybe it was the fact that Edward and I had put a whoopee cushion under Emmett's bed two weeks ago. What a prank that was.

He had _Rosalie_ over at his house. Rose was a tall blonde girl in his class, there was no point in time where he didn't try to impress her. We had seen her at school, she sure was pretty with her sea blue eyes and honey golden hair. She had a sweet fragrance to her, that always made Emmett blush. But she was nine, as I wasn't really allowed to talk to her.

You see, at our school there seemed to be a 'code', you weren't allowed to talk to people more than 2 years older that you. Although Edward and I did the best we could to follow that rule, we just couldn't get enough of Emmett. Emmett was a rather large boy, his nine year old self seemed to look like an eleven year old. But he had a heart of gold, as he had helped me in my many unfortunate situations of tripping over my feet. His parents had sent him to live with his aunt and uncle every summer, but the summer visits seemed to grow longer and longer as the years progressed. I guess now he lives with em'.

Emmett's aunt and uncle, are Esme and Carlisle Cullen, they were Edward's parents. Their interminable friendliness was something every child on our block liked. I remember just last summer, we had our annual summer soccer game, and it got real hot, Esme was nice enough to make us all a cool cup of lemonade. Edward and I got to serve everyone, that sure was something. We tried to play 'waiter' but I ended up spilling the cups over my head and falling to the ground with Jessica Stanley underneath me. Maybe that's why she hates me.

Edward was 7 years old, just about my age. He had luminous green eyes and shiny bronze hair that glowed in the sun. He was my best friend and my faithful partner in crime.

So after putting the whoopee cushion on Emmett's bed, we ended up having a war of pranks. Edward and I against Emmett.

Now throughout the war I thought it would be an easy fight, 2 against 1 right? But Emmett ended up winning by a landslide, who knew his heart of gold could turn into stone.

--:--

"Charlie, can someone's heart really turn into stone?" I asked my father curiously one night. I was sitting on his lap like I did every night as he read the 'Forks Weekly', it was a tradition. I would crawl into his lap and we would read the news section of the paper before I went to bed.

It was something I was accustomed to, I didn't know if I liked to read, but this routine was something that could never be left undone.

"No, Isabella. That is called a 'figure-of-speech', like 'it's raining cats and dogs', it's not literally raining pets." he explained softly

"But why would you do that, why can't you just say that the person is unkind?"

"I guess people just don't like to say what is literal" he replied before we went back to reading the paper.

My father was a tall man with short, cropped brown hair. He was lanky, yet had a confident build. His face was always strict and stern when he was out at work, but I could tell how much it softened when he comes home.

He was the chief of police in Forks, his job was to keep the small town safe from any unwanted incidents. I admired his audacity to keep things in order and be the head of an important force. I was definitely proud to be a Swan.

--:--

I opened the thin book to page 19 as the paper asked. I never understood the reason for reading 'June B Jones', it was just about a spoiled brat whining about everything.

However my teacher had sent a angry letter to my father concerning my various retorts to read Harry Potter instead.

"Just go with the curriculum, Isabella. You can read any book you like at home, but do what the teacher tells you to at school" Charlie had said gently with the letter in his hand

My persistence to reading better and higher leveled books had died down as I reached the second book of Harry Potter. It was no use to try and change the way people taught in school.

However I kept teaching myself at home by reading newspapers and Emmett's rather large textbooks. Every time I went to his house, I would sit down with his book in my lap and read.

He claimed to want to burn those books, so he allowed me to borrow them as much as possible. I never understood the reason why, I've always thought knowledge is the most important thing, in one way, I loved to learn

School was just another time waster which took up my precious hours of achieving more of my life. For a seven year old I had 'big goals' as Carlisle put it.

I was currently at the Cullen house with my face stuck in a book reading the words written on the page. Books were always something that fascinated me, I remember a book called Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The book was about book _burners_, at least, that's what Charlie said when we read it together.

It was a book filled with metaphors that I did not understand, my father told me that I was too young to understand the true meaning of the book. He said it was about the coming of age, that in the future things change, and people change, but there will always be the chance to make your own future.

Charlie said that the decisions we make in life today will always affect the ones we make tomorrow, so I had to choose wisely.

So the next day I chose vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate, cause I knew that I may never get vanilla ice cream again if I choose chocolate instead. Besides I had chocolate syrup on top in its place.

"Whatcha reading?" Edward said as he sat down beside me with his hands twisted in his lap.

"Just some book, it's called Bloomability" I replied coolly, and I knew he would pester me about it more. He was one who wouldn't beleaguer you on things, he also didn't like to read.

We sat in silence for long drawn out minutes when Edward finally spoke up.

"Would you like to come try out my new scooter?" he asked patiently waiting for the answer as he swung his knees back and forth on the swing.

I sighed while closing the book and setting in down beside me. I shoved my hands in my overall pockets and stood up while making circles in the ground with my toe.

"You know I'll hit a rock and fall" I said quietly

"Don't worry I'll make sure you don't get hurt" he replied sincerely enough to pull me towards his spacious garage where we found a shiny silver scooter leaning on the wall.

It still had the brand new tags on it as he ripped them off with little effort.

I carefully grabbed Edward's hand as he helped me onto the scooter. As I put my whole weight on the object I cautiously put both my hands on the handles and pushed my way through the vacant street.

As I rode through the neighborhood, I heard Edward's soft, fast footsteps close behind. I made sure I body was balanced and I was at a slow steady pace.

I passed by many houses. There was the Mallory house, the Johnson's, the Richard's, the Crowley's, the Newton's and then there was mine.

I felt the breeze whipping through my untidy hair, but I kept going, I seemed to go faster and faster. Before I realized it, I was riding free beside the road.

It all came so fast, I felt my arms falter as I lost control over the contraption. I heard Edward's velvety voice call my name as I came to a sudden stop and went flying across the green bushes lined up and into a person's front yard.

I felt my face hit the ground and a sharp pain go through me, it was as if a drum had been hit upon and the vibration was continual. I quickly gathered myself up, my dizziness never stopping as I stumbled around aimlessly.

"Bella! Are-?" Edwards voice trailed away and as I looked at him I saw him staring past me his eyes seemed to by wide with fear. I looked behind me only to find myself in the same surprise as he was. I had hit the Whitlock residence. I was _standing_ on the Whitlock's property.

The Whitlock house was known to have been haunted for many years. It had been a house that was passed on to each generation of the Whitlock family.

The home was a white shade with dark brown wooden windows that contrasted perfectly making it radiate an eerie feeling to you. The large oak tree in front cast sharp shadows on the walls as the roof stood above you waiting to make its charge toward you.

We never really saw the Whitlock family. Mr. Whitlock would usually come out to his car to drive to work which was somewhere in the outskirts of town. Mrs. Whitlock would occasionally take morning walks or plant her flowers out front. The most interesting part of their tiny family was the fact that they had a son.

Charlie said his name was Jasper, and he was just a year older than me. I had told the other neighborhood kids about it, they said he was one of those runaway boys who got caught in the process.

"He had tried to get away one fall night, he was all the way up to Port Angeles by the time they caught him. His parents beat him up and he now has scars up and down his arms. They couldn't show his bruises in public so they have to keep him locked up in that ol' house of theirs all day. He sits in the corner of a dark room where he watches everyone from a small window. Everybody calls him 'Casper Whitlock' since he's like a ghost, pale and spooky." Tyler Crowley had told my one summer day.

"Well, he's been in there for an awfully long time. Wouldn't you think he'd have healed by now?" I asked back

"Got beat up pretty bad" Tyler replied composedly

When I asked Charlie if it was true he just shook his head and said, "People in this small town need to start minding their own business"

--:--

**A/N: Okay so I hope you liked it! **

**I'm trying to make some of it **_**kinda **_**like To Kill a Mockingbird, so if it sounds slightly familiar then you know why.**

**Review!**

**xoxo**

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	3. Chapter 2

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I looked down at my picture, it had a blob of peanut butter on one end and on the other was a drop of jam. On the picture was a big X drawn through the whole thing. It was drawn by Ms. Barton.

It was our homework for the night before, to find a picture who's object starts with the letter W. I had cut the fragile picture out from an old worn out magazine I had laying lazily on the coffee table.

Ms. Barton had come to my table to look at each of our pictures looking at them with an uninterested demeanor. Her face scrunched up in repugnance as she gazed at the photo. The picture was of a mother clutching her daughter in front of a large home.

"Isabella, this picture doesn't use the letter W" she scolded. "This is a mother, M, this is a daughter, D, this is a house, H. I don't see the letter W used anywhere" she said as she pointed to the objects and marked the photo with a big X.

I opened my mouth to retort back. What about W for _wish, want, _or _wouldn't that be nice_. But she was already at the next table shushing me from behind her shoulder.

I never really had a mother. She was there, in Phoenix, Arizona. She had left my father just two years ago, she took me along with her. And after a year of being sent back and forth my parents decided it was best if I was kept in one place. They gave me the choice of living in Arizona or Washington. I chose Washington.

--:--

Edward and I walked through the inexhaustible rain that was pouring down on our heads. The sky's were a dark charcoal black, blackest of days in the 365 days of the year. Edward and I called it a 'night without stars'.

I looked down at my nose seeing the beads of water forming, my eyes twisted and disoriented. But I soon stopped since I started to get dizzy.

We had just come home from school, we were both in the first grade and went to Forks Academy, an elementary school. The school was small and run down, the American flag that stood beside it was the only color on the property.

But as dreary as the physical exterior was, the inside consisted of walls filled with color of Kindergarten finger paintings posted on the hallways. The fifth grade artwork was displayed small picture frames with golden edges.

I never enjoyed the hours of school, my teacher, Ms. Barton, didn't really bask at the thought of my reading skills. She soon became biased and told me I had bad grammar because of my head start on reading.

I just guessed she was jealous of the fact that Charlie, a mere police officer, can teach a child how to read better that she can.

As we walked I tripped over a few stones as Edward caught me and steadied me.

"Dang Bells, you can't even walk in a straight path" Edward mused with his arm still around me

I blushed as we walked forward, summer was on its way and that meant less rain which in turn meant that there would be less tripping.

"Oh, shut it!" I replied back my voice steady and curt

"Aw, Bells, you know I was just kidding" he said and walked ahead of me as we neared our neighborhood.

It was still rather dark and the clouds were not yet the fluorescent white it should be. But days like these are frequent, when the clouds came together in friendship to betray the blue sky by covering it up in jealousy, it was to keep people from seeing that the sky was far more beautiful than their dark grey selves.

We both kept a small distance from each other as I kicked a rock on our way home. Edward hadn't spoken a word.

"Hey Eddie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Casper Whitlock will ever come out of that house?" I asked as we passed the Whitlock household.

"I'm not sure, I mean, he must get bored in there he has to come out sometime" Edward replied

"Why do you think he stays cooped up in there?"

"Maybe he's just too scared to face the world, hate to tell ya this Bells, but this world is not that nice...well that's just what my daddy says" was his reply

--:--

That summer Edward and Emmett had made a plan to get Casper Whitlock out of his house. It was on a bet from Mike Newton, he said they were to wimpy to go near the house.

Edward had started fuming, so he ran quickly toward the Whitlock residence, touched the door and ran back to where we stood in shock. Eddie just smiled smugly as Mike Newton turned and walked away. He never bugged him again.

So after that day, Em and Eddie decided to take it a step further.

"I don't like this" I whispered as we neared the Whitlock house. It was about eleven at night, all of us were supposed to be in bed but when I heard Edward and Emmett go outside I decided to check out what they were doing.

Turns out I regretted that decision, they were going to put a big Hersey's bar on the sill of the 'supposed' window of the Casper's room. They would wait and wait until Casper would open his door and grab the bar, in that time Emmett would take a picture and they would run for it.

I had to go with them so I wouldn't look like a girl. But I was definitely scared out of my mind. We slowly opened the squeaky large black gate which was covered with dust and plants. The house stood tall above us as we neared the side entrance.

It seemed far bigger than the last time I ended up near this home. The windows were shut tight, and the white wood seemed to turn black in the moonlight. We slowly crept closer to the window which Casper was rumored to sit by, watching all the children play as he was kept inside the house that could eat you up if you went anywhere close to the front door.

We slowly and carefully took out the large bar of chocolate and placed it on the window sill of Casper Whitlock's bedroom. Then we waited...

--:--

"Bella" a harsh voice whispered

"Beeelllaaa"

"Wake up, Bells"

I felt someone shake me, but when I opened my eyes there was nothing, everything was dark all traces of human life was gone, I felt myself hit my funny bone and I grabbed my elbow and started to rub it between my fingers as I turned around. I looked up and was confronted by the Whitlock house standing tall above me. Fright came upon me and overtook my body as I started to sob.

"Bells, it's alright, I'm here" I heard a familiar boyish voice say. I wrapped my arms around the outline of the figure as he helped me up into a standing position

"Come on guys, it's 3 in the morning. I don't think Casper'll come out for a while, we'll come by and check tomorrow" I heard a gruff voice say

Edward held my hand tight as we made our way out of the dreary property. I tripped over the gate one last time as we made our way down the street slowly and carefully so no one could hear us.

The cricket's chirp was the only sound the enveloped our neighborhood. I had never been out so late, everything in our neighborhood was different. Usually there was someone to greet you and ask you how you and your daddy were doing. But tonight, there was silence.

But something felt odd as we walked closer to home, I felt a fourth persons presence. Suddenly I was poked in the back and I yelped. Tears started to pour out of my face as I turned around and saw I mask of a monster being shoved at me.

I screamed of fright as I tried to push away the mask that startled me.

"Get off of her, Tyler!" Emmett growled as he pulled up a lanky boy

"Tyler? What are you doing here so late?" I asked as sleep laced my voice, I must be real tired, especially since I'm sleepy even after that scare

"Well...I heard Edward and Emmett were gonna go to the Whitlock place tonight, so I decided to scare them. You were taking so long and I was just about to leave when I saw them walking up the sidewalk, I had no idea you were gonna be with them. I'm sorry Bella" he said quietly his shoulders scrunched up and his head looking down touching his neck.

"Look what you've done, she's crying Tyler!" Edward scolded harshly while putting his arm around me.

"I'm sorry" he whispered again

"It's alright Tyler" I nodded towards my house, "Let's go home guys"

We walked quickly across the street with Eddie's arm still around me after the epic journey to the underworld and back.

--:--

We went back to the Whitlock house the next afternoon. The chocolate bar was gone.

--:--


	4. Chapter 3

Hello Humans,

I decided to start off the New Year with continuing this story! I appreciate all that have review and/or subscribed!

Happy New Year! And I hope you enjoy the story.

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«´¨'•.¸¸.¤-'~**_Chapter 3_**~o.¸¸.•´¨'»  
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The rest of the summer went by quickly, with no sign of Casper Whitlock. I wondered how long he would stay cooped up in that house. Every child on the block was envious at our somewhat failed attempt at getting Casper to come out of his sanctuary.

By the start of the school year, Emmett, Edward and I were getting pats on the back and high fives from our fellow students. It was amusing when we told each one our long expedition to the Whitlock house that night, the children's faces would look up at us in awe, I felt wanted for the first time in my life.

But soon that phase faded away before winter break started. That was when the Holiday season took over our minds as we all grew excited for what would happen at our annual 'Winter Wonderland' party at school.

It was a time where children could get hyper of sugar and exchange of eyes popping stimulating gifts. It seemed to be a small competition for us children in Forks, whoever gave the best present would get to lead the town parade as they wore a tall hat with 'Town Royalty' written in big bold letters.

I decided to make everyone a personalized necklace made out of beads. I knew I wouldn't be able to win the competition, but I knew one of my friends would since they were both Cullen's, the richest family in town. And I would be able to walk hand in hand next to them.

The winter wonderland party was a big gala event with games, shows, and some rather perilous rides. The games and shows were held in the large school auditorium while the rides were outside, and if it started to rain you had to stick with it and get soaked to the bone.

"Here you go Bells" Charlie said as he gave me fifteen dollars to spend at the fair. I was quite satisfied with it and skipped off to meet Edward and Emmett.

"Bella, what do you want to do?" Edward asked quietly as Emmett ran, smitten, to go find Rosalie.

"I don't know, I think we should play a couple of games. You know, to try and get some prizes" I replied with a shrug

He smiled nodded as we entered the auditorium, we came upon the first game we saw. We paid a dollar and were handed 3 rings. The object of the game was to try and get them around the rotating cups. It seemed simple and straightforward so we got in position. Turns out I didn't have very good hand-eye coordination. Edward won.

He took the large teddy bear given to me and we turned away from the woman.

We walked away from the stand, I had become frustrated and perturbed by that stupid game.

"Here you go" Edward said, handing me the oversized bear clearly seeing my disappointment. I shook my head and pushed it away although deep down I wanted it.

"Oh come on, it's just a bear! Besides I don't have enough room in bedroom to put it anywhere" he commented. I blushed and grabbed the bear and held it tightly against the my side.

The rest of the might was filled with food, games and rides.

It was about 7 pm and the gift ceremony had begun. Each child had a large box lined up against the wall on it was the child's name in big, bold letters. We would all line up and place our gifts in the boxes.

I carefully put my beaded necklaces in each of the boxes. "Could you move a little faster?" sneered Lauren Mallory as she pushed me forward.

Lauren was a girl who had this sudden hate for me and I never knew why. She had long blonde hair, a pinched face and insipid blue eyes. She would always find some way to trip me, but Edward was usually there to catch me.

I stumbled forward, quickly speeding up my pace of putting the necklaces. After I was finished I took my place in between Emmett and Edward. It was obvious who had won the our little 'competition' as we peaked inside our designated boxes. It was Emmett this year, he had gotten everyone a leapfrog video game.

He walked through the crowded road with the large hat sitting on his head as a basked the crowds cheers. I stood next to him, feeling proud of his useless accomplishment.

--:--

It was spring of second grade and the time for our upcoming musical was arriving soon. We each had a part as we all had to dress as a vegetable and sing a song containing facts about the food item. All of the children had a papier-mâché costume representing the vegetable. I had gotten the proud part of a tomato.

I would come home every day and practice my lines over and over again as I got ready for the big day.

_I'm a big red tomato  
Growing on a vine,  
A big red tomato  
Looking oh, so fine.  
Now you can make good things with me-  
Soup, juice, __pizza__, to name just three.  
I'm a big red tomato  
Growing on a vine.  
Grow, grow, grow._

The lines would ring in my head everyday as I sat at my desk at school. The time when practice would come I would jump out of my seat and run to the small music room where the second graders would practice their routine.

"Isabella, you are doing wonderfully" gushed Mrs. Harms, our music teacher. I felt Jessica nudge me as she glared my way.

"I don't see why you're needed in the musical" Jessica sneered, "haven't you heard, a tomato isn't a vegetable. Scientists have proven it"

I glared at her as my eyes began to sting

"Yeah, to bad you're a stinky bitter melon!" Edward shot back while pulling me away from Jessica

"Don't listen to her, tomato's are way better that bitter melons" he smiled down at me while taking my hand and pulling me away.

--:--

It was finally the day I had been waiting for. May 15th.

I had on my silly red costume which was plump and hard to put on. I could barely see through it but I managed to get my arms and legs through the tiny holes made for them.

Charlie had promised to be there at exactly 5:30 when the performance would start. I had given him a sneak preview of my part that morning. He said he couldn't wait to see the rest.

The stage was decorated with a small play tractor in the front along with a farmer doll sitting in the vehicle holding a plow. The background was a picture of a large amount of farmlands with different kinds of vegetables.

Before the 2nd grade program there was the pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade skits. Pre-school went by quickly as they just held hands and went around in a circle chanting names of vegetables.

Kindergarten is when it happened. I was sitting on the bench backstage with Edward by my side. I had taken off my costume as I became sweaty, we still had two more grade levels before our performance. But it was only a few minutes till my eyes became heavy.

"Eddie? Could you wake me up when it's our turn?" I asked with my voice laced with sleep. He nodded quickly before wrapping an arm around my letting me rest my head on his shoulder and looking back at the kindergarten performance.

It seemed only seconds from that moment when Edward woke me up again.

"Bells, I've got to go on stage right now, your turn is coming up" he whispered as he trotted towards the stage. I faintly heard his lines before I fell asleep again.

_Vegetables are good for me_

_For my snack and in my lunch_

_Veggie sticks are great to munch_

I heard from the stage. My head shot up as I ran to the backstage curtain peering at the stage. All the vegetables were there singing the chorus. But one was missing...the tomato.

I ran towards the stage taking my spot while I started to say my part.

_I'm a big red tomato  
Growing on a vine,  
A big red tomato_

But I realized I was too late. The audience was already on their feet applauding at the children's performance and laughing at my humiliating presentation just now. I stood there looking past the crowd searching for my father, but I never found him.

Oh well, at least he missed my embarrassment.


	5. Chapter 4

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«´¨'•.¸¸.¤-'~**_Chapter 4_**~o.¸¸.•´¨'»  
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The next summer was quick and transient. Emmett and Edward had left for a few weeks as they went to some place called Europe for vacation.

Our goodbye was long as they never left until their parents called for them to get in the car. My time without them was spent in a summer camp my father had enrolled me to, to keep me busy.

The camp was filled with activities and games that were kept as a distraction for the children. The camp instructors were lazy, lethargic teenagers, who stated they only volunteered to be instructors to get a nice 'tan'.

I shrugged, I had been independent for most of my life. Charlie had been an excellent father, but there were times when he was too caught up with work to pay attention, and I never complained.

Independence was something I valued. I never liked when people did things for me when I am easily capable of doing it myself.

I had been sitting in the ceramics room where I had just made my pot. I was currently trying to figure out which colors to paint on top of it.

"I think you should use the color pink" said a soft high pitched voice

I shook my head, "Pink is for girls"

"Well, aren't you a girl? Cause you look mighty close to what a girl looks like"

"Yeah I am, but I just don't like the color pink" I retorted and went back to the bottles of paint colors scattered around the table with ravenous children grabbing the ones they desired.

The tiny girl took a seat next to me, her legs dangled since they couldn't touch the floor. She had short black hair that went up to her neck, she had small brown eyes that looked at you with innocence, she was wearing a puffy pink dress that had a bow on the side. She was real pretty.

I just snorted, she was probably gonna be like Lauren and Jessica.

"Well, then we have to choose a color" she stated the obvious. I looked at her with wide eyes. Did she just say _we_?

"I was thinking of blue and green"

She nodded deep in thought as she fingered the paints, "I know! We could have a blue shy for a top layer than at the bottom we could use green for grass and we could use pink for flowers"

I looked at her with admiration. It was interesting how she compromised and used all the colors that we had suggested as she satisfied both of us. I thought I'd have to pick a fight, like I had to with the boys, to get what I wanted. Maybe this was what a real girl was like.

I just nodded and helped her pick out the paints from the cluster. She painted with such attentiveness and concentration it had me amazed. She took the paintbrush and carefully moved her hand from left to right.

Her creativeness impressed me as I watched the dull gray pot become an art masterpiece.

"That's really good" I said quietly after she was finished, "Thanks"

"You're welcome!" she said cheerfully

"I'm Isabella Swan but you can call me Bella, that's what all my friends call me" her grin widened as I informed her she was now my friend

"Mary Alice Brandon, but you can call me Alice"

--:--

"Bella I thought you liked overalls" Alice complained as I unwrapped my birthday presents. I was now in the 3rd grade and 8 years old. It was always a distress to grow older, I wanted to live like this forever.

"I like them" I stated holding them out for me to get a better look, truth was, they would be at the back of my closet before you know it. They were a light pink with purple flowers on each side making in very girly and trite.

"I can tell with the look on your face" I quickly composed my face as she crossed her arms across her chest. Alice had been just moved to Forks the summer we met, we had become close friends as we were in the same class with Mrs. Coast. Edward and Emmett had welcomed her happily in our play group as she was one of the toughest people I had known. Maybe even more than Emmett.

I had a small birthday party consisted of 3 balloons tied securely on the dining table and a small chocolate cake in the middle.

My father had invited my closest friends to the party.

It was an uneventful day, but it was fun.

--:--

3rd grade was one of those years that seemed to be monotonous school year. We learned our three digit division, started to write short essays, and learned about the solar system. This was the year when the arts and crafts were thrown away and text books were provided for each child.

It was also the year I got braces. It was a real hassle as I had heard horror stories from the braces and head gear wearing Eric Yorkie. But Edward had assured me that it didn't hurt a bit.

But that was a lie. The day after was as if someone was crushing my mouth. I punch Edward in the face that day.

But the year went by and summer was close. We all ran out of the school, like in movies, when the last bell rang for summer vacation.

We had been oblivious of Casper Whitlock for a about year now, and we had made it our mission to get him out of that hole that summer.

"Casper Whitlock is a boy just about our age, he lives in the house right there" Edward pointed to the large white death home while explaining who Casper Whitlock was to Alice, "that house is supposed to be haunted. Casper's really mean, and he watches all the kids play from the window. He's not allowed to come outside, the sun will burn him and besides his parents beat him up pretty bad"

Alice's eyes grew wide as she stared at the white house with curiosity. Within a few days she made Plan A, B, C, and D to get at least a glimpse of Casper.

She became the most enthusiastic about Casper. She seemed to be thrilled about the idea of a mystery in Forks, Washington.

But as plans failed we became more and more restless towards our cause. Alice was slowly getting frustrated. She says she's never failed with her plans.

Today we decided to try plan E, one of Alice's newer arrangements.

"Okay guys, it seems as if Cassy is a bit stubborn" Alice stated using one of our vocab words, "so here is what we're gonna do. I'm gonna go up to his porch knock on the door and wait for someone to open the door. One of you" she pointed to us with her finger, "will run inside towards Cassy's room" she finished her master plan as we stared at her in oblivion.

"Are you crazy Ali? We can't go inside!" Edward said. Emmett and I nodded our heads.

"Well, it's the only way we can get him to come out!" Alice stated, it was the statement she would say before every one of her plans.

So we did. We geared up and crossed the street to Casper's house without a trace of doubt on our faces. Alice trudged to the front door and gave three loud knocks. We waited in anticipation.

...

We waited for 10 minutes, until we knocked again.

...

Another 10 minutes rolled by as we waited. I turned to the side and saw that the usual dark grey car wasn't parked in the front.

"They aren't home!" I pointed towards the drive way.

Alice' head fell in defeat, as she walked away from the house and walked towards her pink bicycle she rode the my house.

I knew she hated Casper Whitlock's guts.


End file.
